Sanitary shield for dental engine handpieces



F. J. GRUSS SANIT ARY SHIELD FOR DENTAL ENGI NE HANDPIECES Jung 10 1924.

Filed Nov 25, 1922 F/E Z /A/ V E 70/? EJ. 551/55 Patented June 10, 1924.

UNITED STATES FRANCIS J. GRUSS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SANITARY SHIELD FOR DENTAL ENGINE HANDPIECES.

Application filed November 25, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FBANoIs J. Gauss, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Shields for Dental Engine Handpieces, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improve ments in sanitary shields for covering the hand pieces of dental engines and has particularreferenceto a novel form of shield for angular hand pieces known as contraangle.

' The primary object of the invention is to providea shield of the character described which will prevent the hand piece of a dental engine from coming incontact with the mouth of the patient and prevent saliva from collecting or being deposited upon: the hand piece during the use thereof, the shield being removable so that it may be taken .from the hand piece and sterilized after each use of the hand piece.

Another object of the invention is to .provide a shield of the character described which will not in any .way interfere with the use of the hand piece and which will permit a removal. and replacement of drill members without necessitating removal of the shield.

The invention further resides in the provision of a novel form of clamp for holding the shield in place.

The invention possesses other advantages and features some of which, with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawing ac companying and forming a part of the present specification. In said drawing l have shown one form of the construction of my invention, but it is to be understood that i do not limit myself to such form since the invention as expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the shield of my invention showing it as it would appear when in use.

Fig. 2 rep-resents a top plan view of the shield as when in use, showing in dotted lines the position of the shield when open and ready for removal from the hand piece.

Serial No. 603,195.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of theclainp for holding the shield in place.

Fig. i is a cross section of the clamp.

In the drawing wherein l have illustrated one embodiment of the invention, desig nates the angular hand piece of a dental drill engine, commonly known as the contra-angle, in which the drill member 2 is extended at right angles to the hand piece and is removably held in place by means 3.

The shield of my invention comprises a tubular shell or casing formed of like halves 4 and 5, each half being substantially semi cylindrical except at its outer end where it is provided with a right angular projection 6. The projections 6 when the halves are moved together form a tubular portion to receive the right angular projection T otthe hand piece. At the outer end or" this-projection 6, each half is recessed so that there will be provided an opening 8 through which the drill 2 extends. At their rear ends the halves are pivoted by vertical pivot 'memhers 9, there being ears 10 on the section L which overlie similar ears 11 on the section 5, through which ears the pivot members are inserted. By this arrangement the halves are adapted to swing apart horizontally to facilitate the attachment or removal of the shield and to close so as to form a tight close fitting cover.

There is provided an. opening 12 on the upper slde of the shield achacent its forward end, said opening being provided by form-.

ing complementary recesses at opposed points in the halves 4i and 5. The opening 12 is immediately over the drill holding means 3 for the drill and of such size as will permit the operator to have access to and operate with the finger, said holding means whereby the drill may be removed or inserted without necessitating the re moval of the shield from the hand piece.

As a means for holding the halves and the shield in proper position on the hand piece, I provide an arcnate or substantially semicircular clamp 13, in the nature of a band. which is adapted to he slipped over the shell at the forward end and moved into position to extend over and close the opening 12. The clamping device has sufficient give or resiliency such that when it is moved into position over the opening 12, it will be under tension and hold the halves together. Suitable stop members lt are provided on the for the halres of the shield.

:contour of the shield provided a knob or protuberance 18 inter place.

said knob facilitating the gripping and handling thereo't also the holdin of the shield. when the latter is iu It wlll'thus be seen that the means I forholding the halves together "serve also engine,-not shown, as is customar as a olosurefor the opening 12.

In the partlcular form. of shield shown, the body of the shield isstraight from its 'forward end to a point adjacent the rear edge of the opening 12, and then extends at an obtuse angle. Preferably the shield 1s constructed of some light, durable metal which maybe readily sterilized without in jury, suchas silver. 7

- Toattach the shield the hand piece is removed. from connection with the dental and is placed with its inner endengaglng between the halves at the pivoted ends of the latter, as

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The halves are then swung so. that their opposededges will meet and 'form'a tight joint thus efi'ecting acovering of the entire hand piece.

The clamping member is then mounted on the upper side of the shield so that its inturned ends 16 will engage in the grooves '17.and pushed rearward until it covers the opening 12 and engages the stop member. The hand piece is then connected with the Idental'engine, not shown, in the usual manner, and the instrument is ready for use with the :hand piece such as would ordinarily be hand piece adapted to encase brought into contact with the mouth of the patient and subject to saliva deposits now fully protected against contact with the mouth and such deposits of saliva.

The shield prevents the lubricating oil used in the instrument trom running out into the mouth of the patient. This objection is encountered in the use of angular hand pieces and is entirely eliminated when my shield is used.

I claim:

1. The combination with the hand piece of a dental engine having an angularly extending portion at its outer end, a drill supported in said portion and means for holding the drill in the hand piece, of a sectional shield for said hand piece constructed to be moved into and out of osi tion to encase the hand piece, said siicld having an opening therein permitting access to and operation of the drill holding means, and means for holding the parts of the shield together upon the hand piece, said means acting as a closure for said opening.

2. The combination with the hand iece of a dental engine, of a sectional Slii6l( encasing the hand piece and a member removably mounted upon the shield and movable thereon into and out of a position securing the sections of the shield in closed position, said shield having grooves extending longitudinally therein and portions on said member slidably engaging in the grooves.

' 3. The combination with any angular hand piece of a dental engine, a drill carried by said hand piece and means for holding the drill in place, of a sectional shield for said the hand piece. which shield is provided with an opening in one side thereof to permit access to and operation of the drill holding means and a closure 'for said opening.

' FRANCIS J. GRUSS. 

